Tuesday 26th January 2010
Racing to celebrate unsung stars
HORSES, jockeys and trainers make the headlines, but racing is preparing to honour its unsung heroes and heroines - the stable staff.
The annual Stud and Stable Staff Awards, initiated in 2005, will recognise the achievements of the bloodstock industry's key staff at a special lunch on March 1 at the Jumeirah Carlton Hotel in London.
Newmarket, racing's headquarters, has a fine past record and has produced plenty of category winners and the last two outright winners, Sean Travis (Jeremy Noseda) and Peter Maughan (David Elsworth).
Many of the town's stables will currently be busy preparing applications for this year's awards, which are well worth winning.
Sponsored by Godolphin and run by the British Horseracing Authority in conjunction with the Racing Post, the total prize fudn this year has been increased to a record figure of £120,000. Nominations opened on 4th January and will run until 5th February 2010.
There are six Award categories:
*The David Nicholson Newcomer Award
*High Achiever Award
*Stud Staff Award
*Rider/Groom Award
*Dedication to Racing Award
*NASS Special Merit Award
Each category winner will receive £5,000 and the two runners-up will also each receive £2,000, aside from the new NASS category where £5,000 is pledged to just the winner, in special recognition of their solo efforts. Category winners, excluding the winner of the Newcomer Award, then go forward for the overall Stud and Stable Staff Employee of the Year Award, boasting a grand prize of £25,000 to be split between winner and yard, together with The Godolphin Trophy, a memento of their success.
Crucially, an identical amount to category winners and runners-up will also be given to the winners’ yards to be shared among the rest of the staff.
The Judging Panel will be made up of six influential racing figures and chaired by Brough Scott.
